Victory Day: how Moldova is preparing for parliamentary elections

Less than three months remain until the most important parliamentary elections in Moldova, which will determine the configuration of power in the country for the next four years. The Victory bloc, which advocates improving relations with Russia, held a congress in Moscow. It was announced at the event that the main point of the program would be the desire for a close alliance with Moscow. The Moldova-EU summit was held in Chisinau, European politicians supported Maia Sandu and her party. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

A union for the ages

A congress of the Moldovan opposition bloc Pobeda was held in Moscow on July 6. Its leader Ilan Shor announced during the event that the association will participate in the parliamentary elections scheduled for the end of September. "Next week we are submitting documents to participate in the campaign," he stressed, adding that the head of Gagauzia, Yevgenia Gutsul, who is under house arrest, will head the party list.

Shor also criticized the foreign policy of the current Moldovan authorities. According to him, European integration leads to war and total poverty. "The ruling PAS party has turned Moldova into a testing ground for the West. It's no secret that Maya Sandu is a Western employee, a manager who destroys the country for a salary," he said.

According to the politician, his bloc will defend the course of rapprochement with Russia. "I believe that the alliance with the Russian Federation should be strong, lasting for centuries. Many of our politicians are shy about talking about it, using the words "independence" and "equidistance," but I'm telling the truth to my face," he said. Shor also said that Pobeda would begin collecting signatures for an alliance with Russia, and if successful in the elections, it would raise the issue of the republic joining the CSTO.

The leader of Pobeda also promised that in case of rapprochement with Russia, the socio-economic situation in the republic will definitely improve. "For gasoline, we pay from 25 lei per liter, and in the Krasnodar Territory, the breadbasket of Russia, from 11.7 lei (55-60 rubles) per liter. At the same time, the average salary in Kuban is 1.5-2 times higher," he said. In addition, he noted that gas in Moldova is eight times more expensive than in Russia, and heating is four times more expensive.

Don't spare the Lei

Other opposition forces have also noticeably perked up. Former president and head of the Party of Socialists Igor Dodon said that he is currently working on creating a broad coalition of leftist forces. According to him, negotiations are underway with the Communist Party of Vladimir Voronin, as well as the associations of the former head of Gagauzia Irina Vlah and former Prime Minister Vasile Tarleva. "Only consolidation can prevent the dispersion of votes," he emphasizes, promising to announce the results of the negotiations by the end of July.

Representatives of the current authorities have also become more active. The main problem for them is that the socio-economic situation in the republic remains deplorable. Moldova's exports in the first quarter of this year amounted to $811 million, while imports exceeded $2.5 billion. "We don't just have a fall, we have a collapse, a collapse of the economy," explains former Deputy Industry Minister Mikhail Poysik.

In such circumstances, the emphasis is on foreign policy issues. The Moldova-EU summit, which was held in Chisinau on July 4, became an important event in this regard. It was attended by President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Rechan, Speaker of Parliament Igor Grosso, as well as President of the European Council Antonio Costa and Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

It is noted that the meeting lasted only three hours, without taking into account protocol events like official photos, the negotiations lasted one hour. It was expected that, as a result, the parties would announce the start of substantive negotiations on Moldova's accession to the European Union, but this did not happen, the officials announced without any specifics only that they welcomed further integration.

Nevertheless, the summit has become an important argument in the election rhetoric. Maia Sandu and representatives of her party constantly emphasize that under the PAS government, Chisinau has made significant progress on the path of European integration, and if the government changes, all successes will be reset. "Today we are not saying "if", we are talking about how and when we will join. If we don't turn off this path, then we will succeed," the Moldovan leader promises.

The second area of pre—election work is the whipping up of anti-Russian sentiments. The country's Prime Minister, Dorin Rechan, said in late June that Moscow allegedly intended to deploy 10,000 peacekeepers in Transnistria. Russian officials expressed bewilderment over these words - it is simply impossible to get into the unrecognized PMR bypassing Chisinau now. According to Russian Ambassador Oleg Ozerov, such statements are being made to inflame the situation.

Finally, the third point concerns the use of a power unit and the use of punitive measures. The ruling party has initiated amendments that expand the powers of the Information and Security Service. According to the innovations, fines for "disinformation" in the online space will reach 100 thousand lei ($6 thousand), while "supporting the efforts of foreign actors" is proposed to be considered an aggravating circumstance.

In addition, a bill that significantly restricts freedom of assembly will be considered on July 9. The document says that local authorities and law enforcement agencies will be able to cancel any rally if the event threatens national security, calls for military aggression and propaganda of violence will be heard at it.

What the experts say

Moldovan political scientist Alexander Korinenko explains that it is difficult to predict the outcome of the elections so far.

— The ruling party is unlikely to jump over its ceiling of 30%. The opposition is not yet very active, we do not know the agenda they are going to address to the voters. As a result, polls show that about a third of the country's residents have not yet decided on their choice. If we talk about the Victory bloc, then most experts are sure that this association will most likely not be allowed to vote," he argues.

Moldovan political analyst Corneliu Ciurea says that the most anticipated news of the pre—election period is the creation of a bloc of leftist forces.

— If this association appears, it will be able to make a real competition to the ruling party. If there are no falsifications or moderate ones, then the chances of winning are quite real. It is difficult to talk about the prospects of the Pobeda bloc, because it will most likely not be allowed before the elections, during previous campaigns all political forces of Ilan Shor were consistently crossed off the ballot," he notes.